Monthly Archives: October 2010

I have never been one for conspiracy theories but events are unfolding that boggle the mind. Tony Blair has become a devout Muslim, the government of Iran is engaged in bribing the government of Afghanistan, and Tony’s sister in law has converted and become a Muslim. Lauren Booth was on a visit to Iran and went to the holy city of Qom. In the twilight of the day, she sat down and suddenly, voila–she became a Muslim. “It was a Tuesday evening and I sat down and felt this shot of spiritual morphine, must absolute bliss and joy.” After returning home to England, Lauren rushed to the nearest mosque and announced she was now a Muslim. Ms. Booth now prays five times a day and wears the niqab. I encountered two stories –one about Iran bribing Afghan government leaders and now about Ms. Booth becoming a Muslim. It makes one wonder what ever happened to people receiving a message from up on high about becoming a Christian? One day Tony is a Catholic, the next day, he will become–a Muslim? So, does this all mean there are secret Muslims in our government? Does this mean the Tea Party got the wrong guy by focusing on Obama’s African roots? Or, were they right that a man with the name of Barack just must be a Muslim?

My question is where does George Bush fit in this equation? He claims to be chopping wood in Texas, but has anyone checked what he does at twilight? Is it possible he is receiving a shot of Muslim morphine and since he already has gone through one conversion, is there another in his future?

Has anyone checked out Tea Party leaders as to their Muslim connections? Their ideas will result in the ruin of America, does this mean they are all Muslim secret agents bent on our country’s destruction?

The president of Afghanistan was in Tehran last August and as his plane waited to depart a nice man, Iran’s ambassador to Afghanistan, appeared, sat down next to President Karzai and his chief of staff, Umar Daudzai and delivered a nice package of money. The Iranian gentleman delivery of money was seen by many and accepted by many as just a normal action. Everyone knows Mr. Daudzai is the Iranian man in the Afghan government. Iran gives money to Afghan leaders who use the money to pay off whomever they need to pay off, tribal chieftains, but most of all, to make certain their man in Kabul represents their interests. I am not the brightest person in the world, and would appreciate if President Obama could explain to me –and the American people– why American foreign policy is hostile to the government of President Ahmadinejad, but we allow the Iranian government to bribe a government we are fighting to defend! Most probably, Iran is playing both sides in the war, giving aid to the Taliban as well as to the Karzai government. And, in the middle of intrigue and deceit and bribery sits the men who lead Afghanistan. The real question is where do they lead the country?

Ten years ago Iran had two enemies–Afghanistan and and Iraq. Thanks to the brilliant planning of George Bush, Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld the enemies of Iran are gone. After the Americans spent years and three trillion dollars of their money as well as the lives of five thousand young men and women, the United States wiped out Iran’s enemies and invited its government to take over those countries. A brilliant piece of diplomacy. I wonder if any Tea Party folk will begin charging that George Bush was a secret agent of the Iran government??

Marilyn Sevell is principal of Martin Van Buren high school in New York and she is determined to show children they have no right to be children, but to adhere to her dictates about life and physical activity. She has initiated a war against sports in the school on the hypothesis that if children are playing they are not studying. Ms. Shevell is doing everything possible to cut back the sport program and focus attention on school work. Anyone who has endured four years in a high school can count on the fingers of one hand the number of interesting teachers who impacted their lives. As one who taught high school for ten years and then spent forty more educating over 12,000 teachers, my experience differs from that of Ms. Shevell. The essence of a good mind is a healthy mind and for many children(me included) hours playing developed a host of skills and ways of thinking that never occurred in a classroom. Children at play engage in creative thinking, they learn how to solve problems, they learn the importance of working in a collaborative manner with others, and they release energy in productive ways.

Ms.Shevell does not like sports. She also lacks any understanding of how humans learn. We need to engage our bodies in productive ways. I guess Ms.Shevell is not a New York Giant or Yankee fan or Knick fan. How about getting her butt on a tennis court and releasing that pent up anger?

Two versions of Saudi Arabia exist side by side. One is typified by the new university which allows females to attend classes with boys and study just about every subject area including technology. The other is centered in a male dominated world in which father, uncle, husband, brother, heck, even son can order a woman to do as he pleases. Under Saudi law, a woman must ask her “guardian” for permission to travel or work or even obtain medical services. A recent case noted by Human Rights concerns a woman who was placed in a mental asylum by her father because she wanted to marry a man from another tribe he considered inferior. She went to court and won her freedom, but since her father continues to appeal the decision, she remains locked up. Samar Badawi, age 29, won a case against her father who denied permission to marry, but she remains in jail while he appeals. Dad has also sued her for “disobedience.”

Naturally, the Saudi government and its clerics insist the Muslim religion protects women against the world of modernity. They can remain home and never worry about getting fired from a job. They can marry whom dad says and never have to worry about deciding whom to marry. Welcome to the modern Saudi Arabia.

New Zealand has a large community of people whose ancestors migrated to the country from India. They yearly hold a Miss IndiaNZ pageant in which attractive females of Indian heritage show off their wares — or, should I say, bodies? A blond blue-eyed beauty was crowned this year as the winner and this aroused fury among some members of the audience who shouted that she was not dark enough! Jacinta Lal, whose father is Fijian-Indian and whose mother is of European descent, laughed off comments and noted: “It hurts that people are quick to judge an entire race for what one or two people do.” This absolutely gorgeous young woman was subject to insulting remarks because she happened to be too blond and blue eyed. She believes pageant organizers were comfortable with who she was and regarded her as an Indian. Remarks from the audience raised the issue as to whether, “is she even Indian?” I guess these days, racists come in all colors and shapes.

To make things more interesting, her boyfriend’s mother was furious at the comments and pointed out, “I’m half Maroi, my husband is Samoan,” and who the hell knows who her grand daughter will be? Perhaps, one day we will inhabit a world in which skin color just ain’t that damn important. In so doing, we will return to our common ancestors who left Africa thousands and thousands of years ago.

An illegal immigrant who comes to America and enters the US armed forces can be deported if for, one reason or another, they run into problems with the law. There are over 16,000 non-citizens who are serving this nation and many are in Afghanistan or Iraq where they risk their lives. However, even one encounter with the law which leads to a guilty conviction can result in deportation. There is sufficient evidence that thousands who have served in the hell known as Afghanistan or Iraq leave combat zones with psychological illnesses. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder impacts a high percent of those who served in combat. Unfortunately, those with PTSD more often than not encounter problems with the police. It could be use of marijuana or other drugs or engaging in some form of criminal action. But, the law allows a non-citizen to be deported, regardless of their service to the country.

New rules issued by the US Sentencing Commission will finally allow a judge to take into consideration factors which may have led to someone committing a criminal action. Certainly, use of drugs by those with PTSD is not uncommon. If they risked their lives for the USA, certainly this nation can risk allowing them to be treated after committing a crime, particularly when it involves use of drugs.

The tale of a fifteen year old boy born in Canada finally came to a conclusion in a court in Guantanamo Bay prison when he confessed to having killed an American sergeant with a grenade in 2001. Of course, Omar Khadr is now 24 years of age and has spent nine years in prison for the crime of being involved in a war. For years he denied ever having thrown the grenade and insisted he had been tortured and forced to confess while still a teenager by American interrogators. His Canadian lawyer, Dennis Edney told the media: “he had to come to a hellish decision, he had to make it on his own to get out of Guantanamo Bay.” Edney insisted his client was innocent, but the only way to become free was to confess.

The plea agreement calls for one more year in an American prison and then transfer to Canada where he expects to gain his freedom. One can only wonder if every person in combat was forced to stand trial for killing would we even have enough courts to handle the issue.

I wish to formally apologize to the president of Afghanistan for my failure to understand why he receives money from other countries. President Karzai responded to a recent story in the New York Times about Iranian officials dropping bags of money into the Afghan leader’s lap. Karzai explained that several countries are willing to donate money for his official presidential expenses and that even the United States gives him “bags of money.” OK, so I was wrong about this honest man. One must admit he MUST be honest to admit to taking money, some would deny such gifts. I did not understand that Karzai only takes bags of money from people he likes, which goes to show that he is a democrat in heart. He will take money from everyone for anything and anywhere you wish to drop it off–his home, a plane, a train, heck, even in a mosque. This is a man with generosity of spirit, a man for all seasons since he is willing to take money in any season of the year as well as any day of the week. How can anyone attack him for being honest about taking money.

I wonder if there are still places in America seeking an old fashioned political boss who takes money, not just for himself, but for the betterment of human kind. OK, so he might skim a bit, but it is a skim that rewards both himself and others. This is a man with an open heart–as well as an open hand– to all seeking need of help in solving a problem.

France is being convulsed by strikes over the controversial law which would increase the retirement age for workers from age 60 to age 62. Naturally, this is an important issues for secondary school students who will reach the age of 60 about 2075. Eva Zukerman, age 17, at the Lycee Edouard Branly in Paris kept a diary about how youth were reacting to the new law.

October 14

“Today, 60 students from two nearby schools massed in front of my school, shouting, dancing, and throwing stones. They pushed against the glass door, breaking a window and shoving a female teacher, while yelling the names of their schools. Finally, they rushed towards a courtyard used by younger pupils –who were terrified by the mob, sobbing with fear. As I watched kids my own age, who I didn’t know, trash my school, I wondered what this had to do with retirement reform.”

October 18

“After three days of siege, three students at my lycee tried to organize a proper blockade. Out of 960 students, 77% voted “yes” (for a blockade).

October 19

(her school was blockaded)

“At 11:00 a.m. 200 people who we didn’t know arrived and hurled bottles and cans at the policemen” (the police responded with gas)”All of a sudden, everyone was running to escape the gas… then a school bus carrying nine and ten year olds appeared. The rioters pitched rocks at the windows.”

You get the picture. A group of children protesting against something that might occur 50 years from now. As one who protested during the sixties against racism and the Vietnam war, this is simply a group of young hooligans using violence to brighten up their day.